Second Chances
by nikkialexanders
Summary: Harry left more than just his heart in London with Nikki almost 20 years ago. What happens when his past turns up at his office with a revelation that will rock his world? I suck at summaries, please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Harry Cunningham let out an utterly frustrated huff, scrubbing his face with his hands. His eyes stung and his head pounded from the three straight hours of marking essay after essay after essay. He hadn't slept much the night before, although, he can't remember the last time he had actually slept properly. Well, he could, but the last time he let himself get caught up in that, he had spiralled into a deep, dark depression. One which he wasn't sure he was completely out of even now.

It had been 16, almost 17 years since... Well, since he had made the biggest mistake of his life. Moving to New York had changed him, ruined him, if he was honest. Not a day went by where he didn't regret it. Where there was a dull, heavy ache where his heart should be. Where his dreams weren't plagued with the one and only person that had he had ever truly loved.

He had jumped into a relationship with the first woman he met here; Karen Pope. She was perfect for him, really. The only imperfection being that she wasn't Nikki Alexander. Things with Karen, they moved fast. It didn't bother him in the slightest she had a 2 year old daughter, Becca. They were married within six months and were genuinely happy for the first couple of years. But after that, things got... strained, to say the least.

Harry just became cold and disconnected. He loved Karen, he really did, but only as a friend. Only ever as a friend. Karen always knew that there was somebody else, that Harry would never be able to love her with all his heart. That he had just gotten caught up in it all, that she and Becca helped his loneliness. At least, at first. But he was a good man, and she couldn't hate him for it. Couldn't resent him no matter how hard she tried. She was doing the same thing, really. Harry helped keep the lonliness at bay. Even if it was for all the wrong reasons.

Becca still thought the world of him, that's why they had stayed together for so long. 9 years to be exact. For Becca. They didn't hate each other, no, far from it, they just didn't love each other. Not in the way husband and wife were supposed to. They sort of fell into this routine. They were best friends by the end of the marriage. They only really broke up because Becca made them see the light. She was smart and wise beyond her years, always had been.

Even now, Becca still thought the world of Harry. She was off to University but still phoned her 'Dad' every couple of days, just to check up on him and make sure he was okay. And he had remained good friends with Karen too. She helped him a lot. She was now happily married to Becca's biological father but still saw Harry for weekly dinner dates and lunch dates. And for that, for Karen and Becca, he would be forever grateful. They were the only things that had stopped him from losing it and spinning off the rails completley. But after Karen, there had been nobody else. There never would be, not while his heart had a hole that only Nikki could fill. No matter how many adorning 25 year old girls threw themselves at him -and there were a lot of them, twice as many as there was back in London, Harry just wasn't interested. He had always told himself, even before the move, that he would be the George Clooney type of guy. That he wouldn't settle down, he would just have a string of beautiful young girlfriends. But he had just been lying to himself. Ever since the day he met Nikki, fresh faced, overly eager and sitting at his bloody desk he had wanted more. He had wanted a wife, kids and a dog kind of lifebut had always been too stupid and too scared to do anything about that. And now he had blown any chance of having that. At being happy.

Harry closed his eyes and groaned. He was fed up. Fed up of marking. Fed up of being in a constant state of limbo. Fed up with living with the consequences of the biggest mistake of his life. Fed up with New York. Just fed up with the way his life had turned out. Becca had phoned him at lunch to say she was coming to visit him tomorrow. That had to be something, right?

_Whatever_. Harry grumbled internally, throwing his green pen down onto his desk. It was getting on for 5pm and he'd been there since 6am, surviving on nothing but several hundred cups of coffee and a bagel. _Yay for exam season! _Harry grumbled internally again. America had made him bitter, but that was his own bloody fault, and he knew it.

He pushed his chair away from his desk and rooted around for his briefcase on the floor, not noticing the figure that had just appeared in his doorway.

As the knocking on the door sounded and pulled him from his musings, Harry jumped, banging his head on his desk and causing his giant stack of essay papers to fly to the ground in a heap.

"Shit!" He mumbled under his breath as the back of his head started to throb and papers flitted to the floor.

"Professor Cunningham?"

"Yes?" Harry asked, not looking up as he picked up the papers he had knocked off his desk. He assumed it was just one of his students, wanting an extension on their essay deadline. _Well_, Harry mused, collecting the sheets of paper off the floor, they aren't getting one. _Just for the pure and simple fact that I, Harry Cunningham, am in a God-awful bad mood_. What Harry hadn't noticed was the familiarity of the voice. The crisp, British accent. The one he knew so well and loved so much.

"_Dr _Harry Cunningham?" The voice asked again, emphasising on the 'Dr' part, as if making sure of something.

"Yes, yes, what do you want?!" Harry huffed, still not picking up on the perfect, Queen-like pronunciation but wanting to get whatever it was over with as quickly as possible so he could go home and dissappear in a bottle of scotch.

"I think you might be my father"

_**This is just a little something I had an idea about and if people like it, I will update it. Please let me know, thanks xo**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Aw, you guys are really sweet! I've loved Silent Witness for years and years now but i've only just ventured into the SW fic world. I'm glad you like this so far, I hope this chapter isn't too disappointing. Thank you for the reviews, please keep them coming:-) **_

_"Yes, yes, what do you want?!" Harry huffed, still not picking up on the perfect, Queen-like pronunciation but wanting to get whatever it was over with as quickly as possible so he could go home and dissappear in a bottle of scotch._

_"I think you might be my father"_

**_Well that's one way of getting somebody's undivided attention. Or giving them a heart__ attack_**, Harry mused.

Harry looked up now, his mess of essay papers littering the floor long forgotten. There was no air in his lungs and time seemed to have stopped. He couldn't think clearly, or even at all for that matter.

His eyes fixed on the young girl, wide eyed and smiling in his door frame. His heart stopped as he took in her appearance.

Those eyes, those big warm chocolatey eyes. He would know them anywhere. Those were the eyes he had fallen in... Well, let's just say they were the reason he got up in the mornings. He had to do a double take, he was almost certain it was Nikki standing in his door way. She was the image of her, the only thing differing was she had light brown hair rather than golden blonde. It reminded him of the time Nikki dyed hers.

But it wasn't Nikki. It couldn't be. She had said... she had called him her father. Her father.

"I'm-im sorry, what?" Harry asked clumsily, fumbling over his words in his complete state of shock.

"I think you're my Dad" she said again, walking deeper into his office and sitting in the chair the other side of his desk, pulling her skinny legs up onto the chair and bringing her knees to her chest.

"But... How?"

"I'm not exactly sure I need to explain HOW babies are made to you, am I?" She raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"No, no... Its just..."

"A shock? Yeah, I know. I take it you didn't know about me then?"

Harry just stared at the girl blankly. He didn't even know her name, or who her mother was. He was almost certain it was Nikki. After all, he was faced with a teenage version of her. But he couldn't be sure. She may look like Nikki and sound like Nikki and act like Nikki, but after that whole Penny incident all those years ago, he couldn't be sure. He wouldn't let himself be sure. He couldn't go through that again.

"N-no"

"Its okay, I didn't think you did" she simply shrugged, picking up the photo of Becca and him from his desk and glancing at it.

He was sure a look of disappointment spread across her countenance.

"Pretty" the young girl mumbled before Harry grabbed the silver frame from her.

"Yeah" Harry agreed, eager to change the subject but not knowing where to start. "So-so, I'm your father?" Harry asked, clearing his suddenly dry throat.

"In the biological sense of the word, yeah"

"But how? I mean, how do you know?"

"I read her diary"

"Right... And _her_ would be...?"

"I'm not telling you"

"Excuse me?" Harry was glad he had kept fit all these years, because he was sure he would have had a coronary or something by now.

"If I tell you who my Mom is, then you will ring her up and she will come over here, drag me back home and ground me forever and then I'll never get to know you"

"So your Mum doesn't even know you're here?! Isn't she going to be worried about you or something?!"

"No, she's away for the week. Hence, the reason I chose today to come to New York"

"Okay, okay" Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. His head hurt way too much for him to think properly. "Well I mean, what about whoever is watching you? Won't they be worried?"

"No because nobody is watching me. I usually stay with my best friend while Mum is away. Please, all I want is 24 hours. That's all I'm asking. Even if you don't want to, then just tell me. I just, I just need to know"

"Look, you're going to have to give me a second to just... process this all, okay?"

Harry's head was spinning. He was 99.9% sure that this child was Nikki's and if she was, then that meant he would have to phone her and most probably see her.

If what this girl was saying was true, that she _was_ his daughter, and if his theory of her being Nikki's daughter _was_ true, then that probably meant Nikki hated him even more than he thought.

He had slept with her and ran an ocean away a few hours later, leaving her sleeping in her bed all alone. He didn't even say goodbye to her. Not properly. But not only did he just up and leave his best friend he was not-so-secretly in love with, he'd also knocked her up and left her alone.

She had no family -well, she had Leo and Janet, but that was it. God he was stupid! That realisation hit him like a tonne of bricks and he felt his stomach churn.

Luckily, he grabbed the bin just in time and threw up a disgusting mix of stale coffee and bile.

"I'm just gonna go" the girl motioned to the door, the room suddenly thick with awkwardness (and smelling of puke).

"No" Harry groaned, his head still hanging in the plastic black cylinder, the smell of his vomit burning his nostrils and making him want to throw up all over again.

The girl, who's name he still didn't even know, was young. Anybody could see that. And whether or not she was his daughter, there was no way in hell he was going to let her go and stay in some cheap, dingy motel all alone. He wasn't that irresponsible, and while some people might think that inviting a random teenage girl into your home may also be irresponsible and stupid, it was far better than the alternative.

At least this way she wouldn't get raped or murdered or kidnapped or something. The worst that could happen to her is she gets covered in a bit of vomit.

"Just, just let me get my stuff together" Harry said weakly, watching the young girl grin broadly at him. Clearly she hadn't listened to the whole 'stranger danger' shit at school.

"I'm Paige, by the way" she held out a skinny hand for Harry to shake.

Harry accepted wearily before collecting his briefcase and his belongings and headed towards his car, his maybe-daughter at his heals. This was going to be a _long _weekend.


	3. Chapter 3

_**4 Months Earlier**_

You sit on your sofa all alone in the dark, aimlessly flipping through the thousands of TV channels. Its almost 8:30 on a Saturday night, and even though there are shows you would normally enjoy watching, tonight your spirit is ruined.

You were supposed to have a girls night in with your Mum, you'd been planning it for weeks. She'd promised you that tonight was your night. You'd got DVDs and chocolates and popcorn and beauty products and before the microwave had even finished with the popcorn, your Mum had been called out to a scene.

You know its not her fault, and you're not angry with her, you're just... disappointed. Mainly in yourself for letting yourself get your hopes up.

It must be pretty bad if your Mum got called out on her night out, especially if your Uncle Jack phoned her on her personal phone, rather than her work one.

The night isn't going to be a total waste though, as your phone begins to buzz. You smile broadly as you see your screen.

_**1 new message: Phoenix Hodgson. **_

Your best friend always makes you smile, even at the times where you don't think you'll ever smile again.

_**Dad got called out too, its bad -like crazy bad. Someone shot up a shopping centre. He feels awful for ruining your Ladies Night. I'll be over in 10, keep smiling x**_

Phoenix Hodgson is your best friend. He is Jacks son. You and your Mum have always been close to Jack and his kids. Their Mum left them when they were too young to remember (well, Phoenix remembers) and Nikki has sort of been their mother figure. Kind of like in the way Jack has been your father figure. You're all a close knit gang, really. The Lyell Center is like one big, dysfunctional family. You've got your Grandpa Leo and Grandma Janet, and their four adopted kids, who are also like parental figures for both your Mum and your Uncle Jack, and then those two are like brother and sister. You're close with Jack's other son, Alejandro, or Alex, but you're closest to Phoenix.

Also, if you call Phoenix _Phoenix_, he _will _ try and kill you. His Mum was half Mexican and decided that for the first time in her life, she'd embrace it. Most people at school call Phoenix _Hodgy _or _Nix_, but everybody else calls him Phoenix, because they know he hates it (Jack usually has some more... colourful names for his son). You kinda like it though. It suits him. And Alex isn't even Jack's son, not biologically at least. But that's a long story that involves their Mum, Anna, getting back with Jack, Jack adopting Alex as his own, and Anna running off and leaving within a year.

You know you've gone seriously off course with your thoughts when you hear the front door opening. You know its Phoenix and not your Mum, because your Mum always shouts you, whereas Phoenix always heads straight for your kitchen.

"You touch the chocolate and you'll be peeing through a Catheter for the rest of your life!" You shout, before you hear a muffled 'shit' and some more rummaging and banging and clanging.

Phoenix emerges a few moments later, a giant bowl of Chilli in his hands and a cheeky grin on his face.

"I tell you, Paige. Your Mum's Chilli is to die for!" he moans orgasmicaly, plopping himself down next to me on the sofa. "So, what are we watching?"

"I was going to watch _Pretty Woman _with my Mum but we can put something more boy appropriate on if you like" you shrug.

"Nah, you have been looking forward to this for weeks" he says, his mouth full of Chilli as he presses play on the remote.

You don't know why, but you always end up cuddling when you're watching something together, and tonight is no different. Phoenix finished eating almost as soon as he started and now his arm is wrapped around your shoulders and your head is nuzzled in the curve of his muscular shoulder blade. He smells like that aftershave you bought him for Christmas.

You feel him shift uncomfortably and he digs under his butt and pulls out your Mums old diary.

Crap! You forgot that was there!

"Paige?" He asks, looking at you seriously. "I thought you'd stopped reading these?"

"I did... But, I just. I can't, Phoenix. I can't, I need to find my Dad"

"And did you?" He asks again, his voice thick with concern and worry.

You don't know, you're up to around the time you were conceived. Harry is staying with your Mum, but things are getting angsty and kinda porny, and its grossing you out.

"I don't know" you sigh. "I think I'm close, but I can't continue. Its getting all 50 Shades of Sexually Frustrated and I don't really want to read about my Mum like that" you scrunch up your face in disgust and Phoenix chuckles. "...will you?"

"Will I what?"

"Read it for me" you widen your already large eyes and give him your best pleading look, hoping you look too adorable to say no to.

"What? No! I don't wanna read about Auntie Niks like that!" his face mirroring your own just a few moments prior.

You raise your eyebrow at him knowingly, you know he thinks your Mum is hot and used to be infatuated with her until he was like 10 and realised that 1) he had **no **chance and 2) girls practically threw themselves at him, wanting to date him.

"Hey!" He defends himself under your glare. "She's like the closest thing I have to a Mum too, y'know. I don't want to read about that either"

"_Please_, Phoenix" you plead, your voice sounding even more desperate than you thought you were. "Please... I'm so close. I never ask you to do anything for me. Please, this could be my last chance. I need to know, Phoenix... I-i need to know" you don't even realise that tears are streaming down your face until your lips taste salty and you feel Phoenix cup your cheeks, stroking your face with his thumbs. He pulls you into his arms, his embrace warm and loving and you just end up breaking down.

This has been a 16 year long battle and you didn't know how much you wanted to know -_needed_ to know- until it was almost not an option. You feel Phoenix rubbing soothing circles into your back as your tears stain his t-shirt.

You hate feeling vulnerable. It makes you feel naked and exposed and weak. You never cry and you never let anybody see your emotions, not really. You've only ever cried like this in front of your Mum and Phoenix. The only people who you feel safe enough to be real with, the only people who you know won't judge you. The only people who can always make you feel better.

"I'll read it" you feel Phoenix's breath against your ear, washing over you and making your spine tingle. "You know I will, I just, I just didn't know it meant _this_ much to you"

"Neither did I" you sniffle, wiping your nose with your hand. "Thank you" you say honestly, looking up into Phoenix's bright blue eyes.

"Always" he smiles his crooked smile pressing his lips to your temple softly.

You sit in a comfortable silence for the next hour or so, just watching the TV. You end up almost falling asleep in his arms curled up on the sofa -which wouldn't be the first time. You gave up watching movies because you always end up explaining the plot to Phoenix and never actually get to watch it.

Its almost Midnight when you hear your Mum come home. You pretend not to notice the smirk on her face as she catches you and Phoenix on the sofa.

"Don't stay up too late" she smiles before she let's out a massive yawn and trudges off to bed, mumbling something incoherently as she disappears up the stairs, not even bothering to ask if Phoenix is going to stay over, because she already knows the answer.


	4. Chapter 4

_**I tried to work some of the back story into the previous chapter, so I hope you liked it and that it worked. I will be doing more of that, and letting you know more about what Nikki has been up to for the past 16 years. Also, I don't know about you, but it kind of ruins stories for me when people give their kids dumb names... But i've got a weird obsession with the name Phoenix so i'm sorry. But Paige and Phoenix kind of has a ring to it, don't you think;-) Anyway, back to the story. Please leave me reviews, I hope you enjoy. **_

_**-Gina xx**_

_**Present Day**_

It's not until they're in the car and driving back to his home that Harry notices it. The golden chain around her neck glistening under the setting sun, the top of the Dragonfly sticking out just above her top. He knew that necklace and he had only ever come across one person who owned such a piece of jewlery. That paired with the Butterfly earrings just told him that she was in fact Nikki Alexander's daughter.

The car journey was awkward and silent... for about the first five minutes, but that might have had something to do with Paige typing away at her mobile phone in an almost frenzied manor.

"Is everything okay?" Harry asked.

"Oh, yeah... It's just Phoenix texting me" Paige shrugs.

"Phoenix?" Harry asked, raising one eyebrow.

"He's my best friend, he's worried because I didn't phone him when I landed"

"He knows you're here?"

"Uh huh, he's not happy about it but there was nothing he could do about it, really" Paige shrugs again just as her phone buzzes.

_**YOU'RE GOING TO HIS HOUSE?! Jesus, Paige! I thought you had more sense than that! He could be a murderer or a rapist or a psychopath for all you know... Hell, he might not even be the person you think he is! **_

_Well where else am I supposed to go? Would you rather me sleep in the street? He's my father, I know he is! I knew it the minute I saw him. I've seen old photos, I know who he is. That just backed up that whole same rare blood type thing. And do you really think my Mum would have fallen in love with a murderer or a psycho?_

_Wait, don't answer that. Look P, this is my Dad. My Dad. The man i've been waiting my whole life to meet. I know you're worried about me but you really don't have a reason to be. _

_**You're a whole bloody ocean away, of course i'm going to be worried about you, Paige! Promise me you will phone me before you go to bed? I don't care what time it is over here, you phone me. I won't be able to sleep until you do. **_

_Okay, okay, I promise. I'll phone you and let you know Harry hasn't chopped me up into tiny little pieces. _

_**NOT FUNNY! I miss you, stay safe xx**_

_I miss you too. Speak to you soon xx_

"He seems to think you're some psycho that's going to murder me" Paige chuckles, "... you're not are you?"

"What? No!" Harry laughed. "Although, he does have every right to be worried about you" Harry said, surprising himself how much he sounded like a father.

"I know" Paige rolled her eyes. "But I wouldn't have come here if you were a murderer. I'm not that stupid!"

By now, Harry was pulling into his drive and Paige was staring out of the window, her eyes wide and her jaw wide open in awe.

"Holy crap!" she exclaimed. "You live here?!"

"This is my house" Harry chuckled, parking the car. It was his _house _yes, but it wasn't his _home. _This place, as magnificent and as beautiful as it was, had never and could never be his home. That was an ocean away living in a different continent.

"How do you leave this place?" Paige gaped as Harry walked around the front of the car and opened the door for his maybe daughter, slinging her giant bag over his shoulder. "If I lived here I would never leave. It looks like somewhere the Kardashian's would live!"

"The who?" Harry asked as he unlocked the front door and stepped through into his hall.

Paige looked like a little kid in _Disney Land _as she looked around Harry's house. Her eyes widened even more and Harry was sure that Paige's jaw had unhinged. Her eyebrows had already disappeared into her hairline.

Harry couldn't help but laugh at the girl, it was quite comical. He walked into his living room and heard Paige's footsteps following him in there. He threw her ridiculously heavy bag onto his leather sofa and his keys into the bowl.

"Paige" Harry cleared his throat, getting the wide eyed teen to stop staring at his house and turn her attention to him.

"What? Oh crap! I didn't like break something that costs more than i'll make in my lifetime or something did I?!"

"No" Harry laughed again. Seriously, this girl didn't half come out with some things! "Look, Paige, I need to call Nikki and tell her you're here" Harry sighed. That was one phonecall he was _not _looking forward to!

"Who?" Paige scoffed, feigining innocence. She was an even worse liar than he was.

"Don't play dumb, Paige. I know Nikki is your Mum. She needs to know you're here"

"How did you know?" Paige asked, sounding slightly deflated.

"When I first saw you, I had to look twice. You're the image of her. Not to mention you talk too much -in the Queen's English, no less. And that dragonfly necklace? I've only ever come across one person who wore one of those, and that person would be your Mum" Harry shrugged and felt kind of guilty as Paige pouted and plopped herself down on his sofa.

"Can't you just like wait until the morning or something?"

"Paige-"

"-_please_?" Paige pleaded, her voice faltering somewhat.

"Look, I know you want to get to know me, okay? I get that, believe me, I do. But this isn't the right way to go about it. If I am your Dad and you are my... my daughter, then I want that too. I want to be in your life and be a part of it, but this isn't the way to go about it. You know that too. I am going to tell Nikki you're here whether you like it or not, I just figured you should be warned beforehand"

"Fine. You're right" Paige sighed deeply. "But can it wait until after dinner? Can't we just have one nice meal and bond a bit before my Mum comes over here and drags me back to London kicking and screaming? Please? Just two more hours?"

"Fine" Harry sighed, knowing it probably wasn't the best idea to bargain with the girl, but knowing that he had two hours to pluck up enough courage to phone Nikki and turn her world upside down (again). "But the minute dinner is over, i'm phoning her"

"Okay"

The rest of the evening went by surprisingly well. It should have been awkward, but it wasn't. The conversation between Paige and Harry just seemed to flow easily. It was odd, but it somehow felt right. They fell into the roles of _father _and _daughter _perfectly. Paige reminded Harry so much of Nikki that it almost hurt, but she also reminded him of himself and he was sure there was some parts of his own mother in her personality. He had almost forgotten that he had to phone Nikki in a few hours, but he soon sobered up once he remembered. His life had been changed so drastically in the space of a couple of hours and Harry had never been so terrified in all his life.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Not really sure about this chapter. I found it really hard to write, but I know what's coming next so those chapters should be easier to write, yay! I hope this isn't too crappy and that you guys like it anyway!**_

_**Also, I don't even know what the 'normal' people my age (17) listen to now, let alone in like 15ish years time (like I seriously couldn't name three songs in the charts if my life depended on it) so the bands mentioned are my own personal favourites. **_

_**Anyway, please leave me reviews. I love you all, stay fab!**_

_**P.S. I was up to Bloodlines on my SW re-watch and then my masochistic mind thought it would be a good idea to watch Ways To Live Forever right after. It wasn't a good idea in case anybody was wondering. Damn Emilia. **_

"So" Harry smiled around a mouth full of stir fry. "Tell me about yourself"

"What do you want to know?" Paige asked, not really knowing what to say about herself.

"Just… I don't know, stuff. Your childhood, your favourite band, your favourite colour, your favourite subject, what books you're into, your favourite animal, your hobbies… that type of stuff" Harry said sheepishly.

"Um, well, my favourite band changes all the time depending on my mood, but my favourites are probably _London Grammar_, _Coldplay, The Smiths _and _Fleetwood Mac_" Paige grinned widely and Harry nodded, clearly taken back, yet simultaneously impressed, by her choice of music. "My favourite subject is Drama, although, I love English Literature and Biology, my favourite colour is green, my favourite animal is probably an Elephant, but I also love Butterflies" Harry grinned again as images of Butterfly covered baby stuff filled his mind, typically Nikki. "I'm not really a big reader, and I love singing and dancing and acting. What else did you want to know?"

"Anything really" Harry smiled as Paige screwed her face up, clearly deep in thought of what she thought interesting enough to tell him.

"Uh, I'm allergic to cats, I hate strawberries, I kind of have a weird obsession with aeroplanes-"

"-you do?!" Harry exclaimed excitedly, unable to believe his own ears.

"Yeah" Paige laughed slightly. "I don't know why, but one time my Mum took me to an air show when I was about four and ever since then I've had this weird fascination with aviation"

"That's… that's so weird!" Harry shook his head, laughing in disbelief.

"I know, it's a weird obsession"

"No no, not that… its just, _I _love aeroplanes and air shows too!"

"You do?!" Paige exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock and her eyebrows disappearing into her hair line.

"Yes! I wanted to be a pilot when I was a little boy but I had an Atrial Septal Heart Defect from birth" Harry sighed, sounding somewhat disheartened.

"Okay this is just… way too weird" Paige swallowed hard, the realisation of just how much she had in common with her father hitting her like a tonne of bricks. "I was born with that too"

"Seriously?" Harry asked and Paige nodded. "Cool!"

"Yeah"

The two of them dwindled down into silence once again as they continued to eat. The new realisations had just made the whole situation seem all that more _real_. A daughter, that until a couple of hours ago, he didn't even know existed, was like him in so many ways. And yet, so like Nikki in so many ways too. It scared the living hell out of him, if he was honest. He only hoped that Paige hadn't inherited his short temper or his fathers, and his own as of the last 16 years, depression.

The silence that had descended had given both Harry and Paige the time to remember what was coming next: the phone call with Nikki. Neither of them wanted it to happen. They both knew she would be mad and hurt. Hurt in so many ways. Paige knew that her mother would fly out her on the next possible flight and drag her back to London kicking and screaming and grounding her for the rest of eternity, and Harry didn't even want to think about what Nikki would do, or say, when it came to him.

The air in the room was starting to get awkward so Paige cleared her throat before she started speaking.

"What are you gonna say? To my Mum I mean" Paige swallowed hard.

"That you're here? I don't know, I haven't really thought it through"

"Its me she'll be mad at, y'know? You're not the one who flew half way across the world without her knowing"

_**Oh how wrong you are! **_Harry thought. Because that's exactly what he did. Granted, he wasn't 16 and Nikki's daughter but he was her… her… whatever. Paige's words hit him like a thousand tiny needles in the heart.

His heart grew heavy and his eyes prickled with tears. He cleared his throat before standing up from his chair and collecting the empty dishes from the dinner table, hoping that Paige hadn't seen the tears in his eyes or the look of pure pain and guilt on his face.

"Shit!" Paige cursed under her breath as Harry disappeared into his kitchen. She hadn't realised what she was saying until the words were out of her mouth.

She was more like her father than she could ever have realised.

Paige gathered up the rest of the dishes and followed Harry into the kitchen. He had his back to her as he filled the dishwasher.

"Thanks" he smiled as she placed the dirty dishes next to him and he loaded them into the dishwasher.

"I can phone her, if you want? I mean, she is _my _Mum and _I'm _the one who came to you"

"No, this is something _I_ have to do. Thank you, though" Harry smiled genuinely, closing the door to the dishwasher and leaning against his black marble counter.

"Okay" Paige smiled slightly, chewing on the inside of her cheek. "Well, while you're doing… _that_, can I use your shower? I'm still all gross and plane-y" Paige screwed her face up in disgust and tensed her body.

"Yeah, sure. I'll just get you some fresh towels and stuff"

Paige followed her father as he got fresh, crisp white towels from the airing cupboard and showed her how to work the shower. Like she had been when she first walked into Harry's house, Paige was in awe over his bathroom. It reminded her of one of the hotels she had stayed in with her mother in the summer, 5* and scarily posh and fancy. The walls were a gray-white colour and consisted of large marble bricks whilst the floor was tiny white and gray tiles, there was a giant porcelain white bathtub in the centre of the room, a giant mirror was located on the far wall where a glass cabinet sat underneath. The sinks were white and circular and looked like they cost more than anything she'd ever seen before. The shower was almost the size of the wall itself and resembled more of a waterfall than it did a shower.

Once Harry had left the room, Paige pulled out her phone and dialled her best friend's number.

"Paige?! How are you? Are you still alive?!" Phoenix's frantic voice sounded after the first ring.

"No, you're actually speaking to the ghost of Paige Alexander. She was hacked to death by the man she thought was her father"

"Not funny, Paige. Not funny"

"Sorry" Paige giggled, picturing Phoenix's face right now. Both worried and serious, as well as totally cute and adorable.

"How are things going?" Phoenix asked.

"Um, good. I think" Paige grinned. "Turns out he also has an obsession with planes! And was born with a hole in the heart like me too! How weird is that?! All my life ive wondered why I had this dumb obsession with planes, like seriously, and now its like my life is starting to make sense, y'know? I mean, now I know where I came from and I'm so like him, P. in so many ways! And its not awkward, I thought it would be, but its not!" Paige spat out the words like a machine gun. Phoenix couldn't help but smile as she spoke a mile a minute out of sheer excitement.

"That's good, Paige. I'm glad" Phoenix said honestly. "When are you gonna let Auntie Niks know?"

"I wasn't gonna tell her for a few days but Harry figured it out. I think he's on the phone to her now" Paige sighed.

"She's gonna kill you, y'know?"

"I know, but it was worth it"

"I guess" Phoenix shrugged. "So if Harry is on the phone to Nikki, where are you?"

"In the bathroom. I'm about to have a shower-"

"-Jesus, Paige!"

"Sorry" Paige giggled again, knowing they'd have to talk properly about _things _once she got home. "Phoenix?" Paige asked, suddenly turning serious.

"Paige?"

"I miss you"

"I miss you too, promise me you'll stay safe?"

"I promise"

"Good… Oh! Guess what!" Phoenix exclaimed excitedly.

"What?!"

"Dad finally has a girlfriend!"

"He does?!"

"Yeah, he wants Alex and me to meet her once he's back from the conference"

"How do you feel about that?" Paige asked, sounding more like a therapist than she would have liked.

"Happy, my Dad's been happier than I've ever seen him for the past few months and now we know why. Its not like I want him and my Mum back together, you know that. I'm just glad he's happy"

"And Alex?"

"He's happier about it than I am!"

"Aw good. Look, P, I'm gonna have to go, okay? I'll probably be seeing you sooner than later once my Mum knows"

"Okay… speak tomorrow?"

"First thing in the morning!"

"Okay, night babe"

"Night"

_**Meanwhile**_

Harry sat on his sofa, staring at his mobile phone lying on the table, cradling a glass of Scotch in his hands. He knew he had to phone her, and he would, than just wasn't an option… he just had to work himself up to be able to hear her voice again. He had almost forgotten what it sounded like, until one night 6 years ago. One too many glasses of scotch in his dark and lonely house had led to Harry watching videos of a few of Nikki's lectures. One of them was from the time they first went to South Africa, and the other was from just a year or so previous. She hadn't changed, not really. She was still perfect in every way. So much so that in Harry's drunken haze, he had booked himself tickets back to London. But when he got there, he had chickened out and just went to see his mother instead, pushing Nikki back into the deepest, darkest, furthest corner of his mind he could.

That corner was where she's managed to stay until today. Naturally, she'd crept out a few times, but only a little bit and could easily be forgotten about with a few glasses of vodka or scotch. But now? Now she'd have to come out of that corner and he would have to face her. For the first time in almost 17 years. And nothing, no amount of mental preparation could prepare either of them for what would inevitably happen.

Throwing the strong brown liquid down his throat in one strong gulp, Harry decided that it was either now or never. He placed the now empty glass down on his coffee table before picking up his phone and the piece of paper with Nikki's number scrawled across it.

It was with trembling fingers and a heavy heart that Harry punched Nikki's number in, each separate number meaning that he was that one step closer to her. To Nikki. To ruining her life for the second time.

Before he knew it, he had typed in all the numbers and was listening to the ringing tone on the other side.

"Hello?" came a groggy, sleepy voice.

"Nikki, it's me. It's Harry. We need to talk"


End file.
